Raymond William Lessard (December 21, 1930 – January 3, 2016) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the 12th bishop of the Diocese of Savannah in Georgia from 1973 to 1995.
Biography
Early life Raymond Lessard was born on December 21, 1930, in Grafton, North Dakota, US to a largely French-Canadian family.La Société. Bishop Lessard's 1975 visit to Ste. Anne de Beaupre Lessard was raised on a farm and educated at St. Aloysius Academy in Oakwood, North Dakota. He then attended St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Priesthood Lessard was ordained to the priesthood at the chapel of the Pontifical North American College by Archbishop Martin O’Connor on December 16, 1956, for the Diocese of Fargo. Lessard later worked at the Vatican in Rome, both during and after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) as an official of the Consistorial Congregation.Catholic News Service. Collegiality in the Church: Vatican II Debate Continues Today October 12, 2005
Bishop of Savannah On March 5, 1973, Lessard was appointed the twelfth Bishop of Savannah by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on April 27, 1973, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah from Archbishop Thomas Donnellan, with Bishops Justin Driscoll and Francis Gossman serving as co-consecrators.
Lessard once served as liaison between Catholic bishops and married Episcopalian clergy seeking Catholic ordination.The Georgia Bulletin. 1978 -- A Very Good Year January 4, 1979 He once described racism as "the paramount social problem affecting our area".The Georgia Bulletin. The Klan and Catholics -- An Analysis August 5, 1982 Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lessard chaired the Committee for Pastoral Research and Practices.
Retirement and legacy Due to his chronic back problems, Lessard submitted his resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Savannah to Pope John Paul II.Catholic News Service. U.S. Experts At Vatican II Recall History-Making Years October 12, 2005 The pope accepted it on February 7, 1995. Lessard then became a professor at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida, where he taught ecclesiology. Raymond Lessard died at his home, on January 3, 2016, at St. Vincent de Paul.'Bishop Lessard, who head Savannah Diocese for 22 years, died Sunday,' Savannah Morning News (Savannahnow.com), Jan Skutch, January 4, 2016
Sex abuse scandal and cover-up
In October, 2009, the Diocese of Savannah paid $4.24 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged Lessard allowed Reverend Wayland Brown to practice ministry in the diocese when Lessard knew that Brown was a serial child molester.SavannahNow.com. Diocese to pay $4M for abuse October 29, 2009
See also
Catholic Church hierarchy Catholic Church in the United States Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States List of Catholic bishops of the United States Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
External links Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah